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Stalemate As Boston City And Hartford City Draw 3-3

Michael Preston | Sun, Jul 2, 2017 6:59 pm

Boston City FC added took a valuable point from Hartford City to remain in second place in the NPSL Atlantic White Division standings, but will feel they should have taken home all three points having conceded a late equalizer.

Twice the Lions let a lead slip and now Kingston Stockade have won the division, meaning when the rivals clash next Saturday at Malden Catholic High School, Boston City will be targeting second place in the table to earn a home playoff berth with Hartford and the Rhode Island Reds also in the mix.

Substitute Kevin Herrera looked to have claimed maximum reward eight minutes from time, only ten minutes after entering the match. His finish at the far post converted a deep pinpoint Homero Morais cross after a neat move involving a clever dummy by Herrera during the build up and Boston City led 3-2 with time ticking down.

But the visitors lost possession at the restart and Ryan Taylor was allowed to run unopposed down the left wing, cut inside and flash an equalizing finish past keeper Vitor Scariot. The draw was deserved reward for both teams, but takes the heat off Kingston at the top.Boston City had gone ahead in the 12th minute, the opener coming after a period of early pressure featuring Luca Tarable and Michael Rincon down the right flank. Isaac Nana Addai had a low drive pushed away for a corner and Tarable delivered a cross that found Gabriel De Souza unmarked at the far post. The defender headed home to mark his return from a seven-match absence through injury.

Hartford City leveled four minutes later when Connor Archambault bundled home a loose ball after Scariot had failed to gather a long throw in that seemed to surprise him inside the six-yard box.

Luke Alvaro should have taken the lead when he screwed a finish across goal and after 31 minutes, Taylor did put Hartford in front when he broke free and fired past Scariot.

Two minutes before the interval, Addai twisted his way past three defenders and was tripped by one inside the penalty area. The top scorer claimed his eleventh goal of the season from the spot to haul the Lions level before halftime.

Both sides had chances to go in front during the second half. Riley Strassner fired into the side netting and Paulinton Johnson clipped a header agonizingly wide for Hartford City. Boston’s chances came as Morais blasted over, as did Addai on the turn, and Filipe Dutra directed a header right at keeper Hami Kara.